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Chockstone Forum - Trip Reports

Tells Us About Your Latest Trip!

Author
7th Pillar - not quite an epic
WM
16-Aug-2004
1:36:29 PM
Tempting fate 1: refusing James' suggestion of a 4am alpine start
Tempting fate 2: promising Jacqui an epic trip report
The weather: err, 'bracing'. coldest day of the year, roaring wind gusts, a few showers.
What I wore: thermals, heavy trousers, shirt, 2 fleeces, goretex, beanie
I would have killed for: fingerless gloves, Ug boots on the belays!!!!!!
Start: 11am, after the drive up from Melb on Sat morning
The route: classic!
The bolts: scary as hell - even the anchors!!
Topped out: 15mins after sunset
Descent: Roped traverse down L to Dance of Life. Nope too scary, cancel that let's traverse off the other way to the tourist track. Nope that's even worse, Dance of Life it is. Phew, found a slightly better way and soloed down - only 10mins until total darkness when we'd have had to bivvy! (on what turned out to be Horsham's coldest night yet this year). Just enough light to thread the anchor and both eyeball the knot, then dropped ropes and down James went. Ropes tangled by wind somewhere off to the left - James tied off halfway down, swung across to fix it, then down, yippee. My turn, brought the knot over the edge for easy pulling (ok with a 60m rope!) and then a free hanging 45m abseil in pitch blackness, once 5m away from the rock I couldn't see a thing - very surreal. Full body weight on rope couldn't budge it, couldn't see if they were twisted or what was wrong so lashed them down, abandoned the packs and stumbled off into the darkness - by the light of a mobile phone. Thankfully met concerned girlfriend with torch in Amphitheatre and even then got slightly lost going down Flat Rock. Food, wine and into bed by 9.30... not quite an epic :)

Richard
18-Aug-2004
1:14:32 PM
amazing....

I would have thought not much climbing happend on that day .. I am suprised you didn't need snow chains on the western highway....

what made you pick that route on *that*(horrible) day?

IdratherbeclimbingM9
18-Aug-2004
4:21:01 PM
WM said 16/08/04
> and then a free hanging 45m abseil in pitch blackness, once 5m away from the rock I couldn't see a thing - very surreal
I can relate, as it can be a common experience in caving.
Another surreal (related thing) is being suspended mid pitch with ones own light out, so that you are in darkness, but with others above and below who have lights on (but not pointed in your direction). It tends to give you an experience akin to being 'out of body'.

Good report. Might not have been a full epic, but sounds like it was 3/5 of an angst off being one!
James
18-Aug-2004
7:15:40 PM
On 18/08/2004 A5iswhereitsat wrote:
>Another surreal (related thing) is being suspended mid pitch with ones
>own light out, so that you are in darkness, but with others above and below
>who have lights on (but not pointed in your direction). It tends to give
>you an experience akin to being 'out of body'.

lights?? no no no A5 - the torches were safely packed in the car.

I guess we under-estimated the route a bit - there was certainly more aiding than expect which just slowed everything down. Plus we probably aided even more 'cause it was too cold to have any feeling in toes/fingers which discouraged free climbing (for me at least). I'd be curious to know if others have done the same...
gfdonc
19-Aug-2004
11:58:30 AM
I have remained silent too long. Where the hell is this route, and what is it?

nmonteith
19-Aug-2004
12:04:07 PM
Seventh Pillar - Taipan Wall - Grampians.
WM
19-Aug-2004
12:49:45 PM
fantastic 18M1 up the biggest part of Taipan - 118m, 4 pitches
for en-route pics see (ahem) http://www.geocities.com/willmonks/stapyltn.htm

nmonteith
19-Aug-2004
12:58:07 PM
you should get something for that cough Will!
kieranl
23-Aug-2004
8:40:40 PM
Will, isn't that climb something else?
kieranl
23-Aug-2004
8:49:12 PM
Will, I must disagree with your opinion of Trident. I think it packs in value for the grade.
To me it rates up with Muldoon. We'll probably have to agree to disagree on this.
WM
24-Aug-2004
12:21:59 PM
Kieran, yeah 7th pillar is an absolute ripper! Beforehand I thought we'd want to do something afterwards 'to make sure we had a good day' but I enjoyed it so much it justified the whole weekend!!

As for Trident, well thats how it struck me at the time, but its been a while so maybe I should give it another go.

There are 11 messages in this topic.

 

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